Tips to Keep Pets Safe from House Fires

July 15 is National Pet Fire Safety Day so Karla’s Pet Care has some tips to keep pets safe from house fires. According to a recent AKC study, 88 percent of pet owners consider their pets to be valued family members so it makes sense to include them in fire prevention plans and rescue alerts should a house fire strike. 

One of the hallmarks of responsible dog ownership is keeping pets safe and planning for unexpected emergencies, including house fires.  Pet proofing the home, developing pet-friendly escape routes and alerting rescuers of your pet’s presence with ‘window clings’ is the best way to keep your four-legged family member from harm.

Tips to Keep Pets Safe from House Fires:

• Extinguish Open Flames – Pets are generally curious and will investigate cooking appliances, candles, or even a fire in your fireplace. Ensure your pet is not left unattended around an open flame and make sure to thoroughly extinguish any open flame before leaving your home.
• Pet Proof the Home – Take a walk around your home and look for areas where pets might start fires inadvertently, such as the stove knobs, loose wires and other potential hazards.
• Secure Young Pets – Keep them confined away from potential fire-starting hazards when you are away from home, especially young puppies.
• Keep Pets Near Entrances – When leaving pets home alone, keep them in areas or rooms near entrances where firefighters can easily find them.
• Practice Escape Routes with Pets – Keep collars and leashes ready in case you have to evacuate quickly with your pet or firefighters need to rescue your pet.
• Use Monitored Smoke Detectors – Since pets left alone can’t escape a burning home be sure to use monitored smoke detectors that are connected to a monitoring center, to provide an added layer of protection beyond battery-operated smoke alarms.
• Affix a Pet Alert Window Cling – Write down the number of pets inside your house and attach the static cling to a front window. This critical information saves rescuers time when locating your pets.  We have some of these window clings so just let us know if you need one.
• Keep Your Information Updated – Firefighters are familiar with pet alert window clings so keep the number of pets listed on them updated. Knowing the accurate number of pets in the house aids rescuers in finding all of your pets.

Hopefully, you’ll never have a fire, but if you do, your pet has a better chance of survival if you follow these tips to keep pets safe from house fires. 

If you are going to travel again or you just need someone to take your dog for a walk, be sure to contact Karla’s Pet Care, your Elk Grove pet sitter.